Stocking-form.



E. A. JOHNSON.

STOCKING FORM.

APPLICATION rmm 001.2, 1909.

Patented Apr. 11,1911.

ERICK ALBERT JOHNSON, 0F KENOSHA, WISCONSIN.

STOCKING-FORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed October 2, 1909. Serial No. 520,702.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enron ALBERT Jor-IN- soN', citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Kenosha,in the county of Kenosha and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStocking-Forms, of which the following is a specification.

My. invention relates to garment stretchers, and has special referenceto frames adapted to stretch stockings either for displaying goods forsale or to retain the articles in form when wet and prevent shrinkage indrying.

The chief objects of the improvements which form the subject matterofthis application are :to provide a simple and efficient device for thepurpose stated, and to furnish a frame that can be made of material thatwill not stain or discolor the hose, a result that may occur whenmetallic frames, which are liable to corrosion, are employed.

Other objects of this invention are to produce a stocking frame that maybe readily adjusted and to so construct the adjusting devices that themembers will be retained in the various positions in which they may beplaced.

A further object is to provide an adjustable stocking frame that can becheaply manufactured in quantities, so that it may be placed upon themarket for a nominal price.

I accomplish the desired results by means of the apparatus illustratedin the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this application, thedetails of construction being disclosed in the following views Figure 1is a side elevation of my improved stocking stretcher frame in positionfor insertion into the article to be stretched; Fig. 2 is a view similarto Fig. 1 but with the foot members adjusted to the limit of theirmovement relatively to the leg members, and Fig. 3 is a sectional viewon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the details of the drawing, the numerals 5, 6, indicateelongated flattened bars, preferably made of wood, and

having their edges 7, finished by rounding the corners, to facilitatehandling and to present more suitable bearing surfaces than if leftangular. These bars constitute the leg members of the device and arejoined together by pivotal metallic links 8, 9, having their endsreceived in median longitudinal slots or slits 10, which extend to theend margins. These links are preferably formed of flat plates of metalwhich may be lacquered or plated to resist moisture, or they may be madeof non-corrosive metal if preferred. The slots are constructed so thatthe links fit closely therein and are pivotally secured by rivets 11.The upper link 8 is longer than the lower and as a result the upper endsof the members will be farther apart than the lower ends when themembers are spread or distended as shown in Fig. 2. The lower ends ofthe said leg members 5, 6, are provided with flat plates or tongues 12,having their upper ends fixedly secured in the corresponding slots 10 byrivets 13, and their lower ends engaging slots 14 in the inner ends offoot members 15, 16, to which they are pivotally secured by rivets 17.The foot members have their edges rounded in the same manner as themembers 5 and 6, and their inner ends 18 curved concentrically with therivets 17 and the lower ends of the leg members are correspondinglyconcave as shown at 19, to permit the ends of the connected members tobe closely approximated to form a neat joint. The opposite ends of thefoot members are joined together by a tongue 20 which engages slots 21in the said members, and is fixed to the member 15 by rivets 22, whileit is pivoted to the member 16 by a suitable rivet 23. The lower ends ofthe foot members are rounded to form a continuous curve, as shown at 24.When the leg members are folded together, as shown in Fig. 1, the member6 projects beyond its companion member 5, and this necessitates makingthe foot member 16 shorter than its companion 15, in order that theirlower ends may be approximately even.

The manner of using this stretching frame will be readily understood. Tooperate and adjust the members, the leg-member 5 is grasped firmly byone hand and the member 6 moved in a longitudinal direction. Thus if themembers are in apposition with the foot members in alinement with theleg members (Fig. 1) the member 6 will be moved upwardly, the links 8,9, will be turned on their pivots, thrusting the members apart, and atthe same time the trac- Which engage the margins of the link 9, as

shown in Fig. 2, the movement of the parts 111 the opposite directionbeing hunted by the engagement of the proximate edges of the members 5and 6.

To use the device for stretching a stocking the members are firstbrought to the position shown in Fig. 1. The foot members are theninserted into the leg of the hose, the rounded ends 24 facilitating thisprocedure, and the frame then pushed on until the foot is carriedclearto the toe of the stocking. The frame is noW adjusted by grasping themember 5 through the fabric or at its exposed end, and moving the othermember in the manner heretofore described.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, is 2- Ahose-stretcher consisting of a pair of oppositely arranged flat membersadapted to form leg members and having slots in their ends, flat linkspivotally mounted in said slots and connecting said members,

means for limiting the pivotal movement of the link near the lower endof said members, a pair of oppositely arranged fiat-members adapted toform foot members and having slots in their ends, means pivotallyconnecting the outer ends of said members together, and means pivotallyconnecting the inner ends of said foot members With the adjacent ends ofthe leg members, all of said connecting means being arranged in saidslots.

In testimony Whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of tWoWitnesses.

E. ALBERT JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

E. H. HOLLISTER, CHARLOTTE GRIFFITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

